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Regular Calibration Service Maintains Load Cell Accuracy

Even under ideal conditions with normal use, some new load cells can exhibit a slight improvement in accuracy over a period of time. In contrast, load cells are subject to performance degradation due mistreatment, drift, or aging. Throughout the life of a load cell, Interface recommends that regularly scheduled calibration and inspection to monitor performance and minimize uncertainty.

Calibration is a set of operations that compares the accuracy of a measuring instrument of any type, such as a load cell or torque transducer, against a recognized standard. It is often referenced as load cell characterization.

Calibration service ensures the transducer is performing to listed specification. It helps to avoid costly impacts resulting from invalid data or a load cell shutting down a test in progress. Confidence in data is critical in test and measurement. The calibration assures that measurements gathered within the valid calibration period are reliable, trustworthy, and defensible. To maintain  any sensor and minimize cost of poor quality, it is best practice that calibrations are scheduled annually to confirm accuracy to specifications.

There are times when loading conditions and use case environments necessitate the need for more frequent evaluation and calibration cycles. The process of calibration can include adjusting the measuring instrument to bring it in alignment with the standard.

Use Cases for Frequent Calibration Services

  • Harsh environmental conditions can cause corrosion and electrical failures
  • Loading forces that exceed the load cell rated capacity can cause shifting of the zero-load output of the load cell
  • Moment loading of the load cell can cause zero shifts and other undesirable behavior
  • High cycle rates or fatigue applications can cause premature failure

Many of these symptoms can be repaired or mitigated if they are identified early during appropriate evaluation and calibration cycles.

Interface standards for calibration are world-class. Our calibration labs are managed by experts in diagnostics, testing and repair with engineering and metrology grade equipment designed by the leaders in force measurement. Interface’s range of calibration service capabilities:

FORCE

  • NMI Traceable Calibration
  • 50g – 1 Million lbf Capacities
  • 11 Hydraulic and 6 Dead Weight Test Stands to Support Calibration Demand

TORQUE

  • .022 – 100K in lbf Capacities
  • NIST Traceable to 2.2K in lbf
  • NMI Traceable 2.2K – 100K in lbf

Why Interface Calibration Services?

  • ISO 17025 Accredited
  • 50+ Years of Calibration Experience
  • 100,000+ Calibrations Performed Annually
  • Permanently Archived Test Data
  • Highly Trained Professional Technicians
  • Quick and Timely Response
  • Calibrations Running 24/6

Our guidance is to schedule regular maintenance with an annual check-up. Interface offers world-class diagnostic, repair, and calibration services. You can schedule your calibration service online here.

 

Interface Outlook for 2021

Interface CEO Greg Adams shares his outlook for the coming year.

Never in our collective lives have we faced so much uncertainty and turmoil! The year 2020 will make history, that much is certain. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and a year of political strife for the ages, I think we’re all ready to turn the chapter on the start of this decade.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced in 2020, I’m still very optimistic about our future, and for Interface. My optimism is fueled by the amazing people we have here at Interface.

As a family, we’ve gotten through this together and are only growing stronger. I couldn’t be prouder of our people for their resilience and hard work in the past year. We have continued to provide the same excellent service our customers appreciate. In fact, our Net Promoter Score® remained above 60 again in our latest 2020 Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Additionally, product quality is higher than ever and we even had a few major product launches this year, including ConvexBT, our most advanced load button load cell ever, and the G Series, a new international Mini Load Cell product line. And most importantly, we’ve done all of this by ensuring that the health and safety of everyone is our number one priority.

Our ability to remain successful in the past year is a product of how diversified our end markets remain. We continue to serve a wide variety of critical technology-focused industries including aerospace and defense, automotive, medical, industrial, T&M and more. We have benefited from global diversification as well, stepping up our focus on market leaders around the world. It’s also a testament to our engineers who continue to be future focused on innovation. We’ve developed new and groundbreaking ways to serve customers, and we’ve identified trends to keep us at the bleeding edge in our industry and continuously moving forward.

The last point I’ll make on the year 2020 before looking ahead is that we’ve also taken some of the downtime to improve our internal processes and dedicate time to skills training for our team. Not only have we improved our product lines and capabilities, but we’ve also ensured that our skillsets remain strong going into the next year.

And as we finally make the turn to 2021, I’ve spent some time looking ahead to what I believe the next year will hold for our industry and for Interface:

A heightened focus on pre-sale and post-sales service is one thing that we’ve heard from customers in the last year through our semi-annual surveys. We’re upgrading our sales process to ensure our engineering teams are more involved in assisting the customer select and configure the products and systems that are right for their application. Enhancing our after-sales service will include capturing and distributing instructions, guides, and other technical services into a more accessible and easier to find outlets like our robust website.

Another trend we’re seeing requested from our customers is a desire for force measurement providers to migrate from components to systems. World-class components will always be important, but our experience working with customers to provide total system solutions that meet their specific needs is critical. In addition, the demand for higher performance and more customization options continues. One of the biggest improvements Interface has made in the past year is updating our production lines to include more automation capabilities. This allows us to provide high-performance, customized products at high volume while still being able to offer competitive costs. This change is helping us expand our sales with the OEM customers.

Finally, a big trend we’ve been following is miniaturization and the desire to pack more sensor technology into a single load cell or torque transducer. We’ve already begun to address this in some of our products by designing accelerometers into load cells. In industries like automotive, we often use a torque transducer to measure rotation with components like car engines. By adding an accelerometer, we can measure both rotation and acceleration through a single device.

As this desire for more data and less convoluted test systems grows, Interface will continue to find ways to customize our load cells and add more sensor types like temperature and humidity. We’ll also do this by using electronic miniaturization manufacturing methods to improve capability without increasing the overall size of the package.

In conclusion, I’m extremely pleased with the level of talent, the strength of the brand and the depth of our commitment to customer satisfaction. We’ve overcome the challenges presented to us this year and remain stronger than ever. Our renewed focus on the future will also help us identify opportunities for innovation to serve customers in more unique and beneficial ways.

I hope that everyone in our community, from our partners to our customers and employees, has a wonderful holiday season and comes back in the new year refreshed. We’re not out of the woods yet with the pandemic, but there is light ahead and we are speeding to be the Interface you can always rely on.

Interface Customer Survey for Spring 2020

Even during our “new normal” of operating during a pandemic, we know it’s important to reach out to our customer’s to let them know we want to hear from them. As we take extra precautions to operate as an essential service during these times, we want to gauge how we are doing in the eyes of those that are depending on us. It’s how we learn. It’s how we thrive. It’s how we ensure that we can provide the best experience with the products we build along with the support we provide through our force measurement experts.

In the Spring of 2020, we conducted our semi-annual Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction Survey.  We reached out to thousands of customers to ask, “How likely is it that you would recommend Interface to a friend or colleague?”.  We are very honored by the results we received and thank all the participants.

Interface, Inc.’s Spring 2020 NPS rating is +54 

What does this mean?  It tells us that our customers appreciate the work of our valued team members. Our customers were also direct and insightful with valuable feedback in areas where we can continue to improve in order to exceed expectations. According to the creator of the NPS, an average American company has a +10 to +12 NPS.  Any organization about +50 is considering high-performing.

As we focus on the quality, accuracy and reliability of the products we manufacture, it’s very informative to learn firsthand from our customers on how we are performing in this area as an organization. We wanted to know specifically how our customers view the quality of Interface force measurement solutions. We asked customer “How do you rate Interface product quality?“.  In the responses, 89% of the respondents said we provide superior or above average products. Quality is a hallmark of our work. We appreciate the confidence!

“I visited Interface Inc., for the first time 1978 when I talked to Dick Carris and since then we have been impressed of Interface Inc. products. We get all information we need from you and technical help when we need it.” Interface Customer Response, Spring 2020 NPS Survey

We also asked in our survey if our customers would be buying products from Interface again and an overwhelming 93% said yes. We didn’t have anyone say no, and only 7% of respondents were unsure.  Thank you for your continued patronage and loyalty to Interface.

We gathered important feedback from our customers. It’s important to listen and respond with actions. We know communication and service is vital to our success. We learned that convenience, knowledge of products and willingness to help were areas where you think we are doing excellent or better than average. We recognize that we can always improve. Thank you for sharing ideas and recommendations on how we can continue to do more to ensure your experience with Interface always exceeds expectations.

We also love some of our customers who shared some heartwarming comments about their experiences with Interface. As a 52 year-old company, these mean the world to us!

“I have been using your load cells since 2001. Keep making them as you have.” Interface Customer Response, Spring 2020 NPS Survey

Interface is committed to continue being the leader in force measurement solutions. Learning from our customers what’s expected from a leader helps us. Thank you to all those that shared their feedback and insights. We appreciate you!  If you weren’t able to participate in the survey and would like to share your feedback, click here.

Interface Products Available to Buy Online with QS48 E-Commerce Service

The new QuickShip48® e-commerce service from Interface provides customers with an easy way to get the industry-leading force measurement products quickly and shipped within two business days.

The new QS48® Now service brings hundreds of Interface’s highest in-demand load cells, mini load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, indicators, and signal conditioners to customer’s doorsteps within a few days for their important test and measurement projects.

“As the pace of innovation continues to accelerate in the digital age, our customers need reliable and accurate test and measurement tools quickly. Our new online QuickShip48 e-commerce service guarantees fast access to in-demand products to meet our customer’s urgent development schedules and helps them get their innovations tested and to market faster.” Joel Strom, CEO, Interface

QS48 TruckInterface has hundreds of in-stock force measurement products available with the one-stop online shopping experience. The QuickShip48 accelerated e-commerce service offers a wide range of Interface’s readily available products that can be purchased with a credit card and shipped within two business days. All QS48 Now products ship from the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Arizona and are sent with expedited shipping to arrive within three to five days within the U.S.

Popular Interface products in multiple capacities and models are now available for online purchase at new QS48 e-commerce store, including:

For a complete list of QuickShip48 Interface products that are available for online purchase and 48-hour shipment, visit our new QS48 store at https://quickship.interfaceforce.com/.

If you need a quote or a custom solutions request, contact our experienced Application Engineers or connect with our local Representatives and International Distributors for assistance.

 

Calibration for Crane Scale and Dynamometer Applications

Interface is well-known for excelling at calibration services for load cells. Did you know this service excellence extends to dynamometers and crane scales?

Interface can calibrate dynamometers and crane scales with capacities of 100,000 pounds of force or more. This family of devices is often found in industrial, commercial, energy, military, and aerospace industry applications.

Crane scales are used as overhead weighing solutions ranging from light to heavy capacities and are normally placed in the load string of a crane. The devices provide crane overload protection, as well as information about the handling of bulk material.  Some models are equipped with wireless communications to allow monitoring from safe distances at multiple locations.

Dynamometers, which are sometimes referred to as tension links or dyna-links, are also used in many overhead weighing applications. These devices are usually smaller and lighter than crane scales allowing them to be used in vertical and horizontal positions.  In addition to weighing and crane overload protection applications, dynamometers are often used for crane certification, elevator certification, and several other inline test and measurement applications.

What really makes Interface different when it comes to our calibration services for crane scales and dynamometers?

First, our calibration equipment is custom-made for this exact purpose. That means we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to your specific calibration needs, giving you the peace of mind that your calibrations are done correctly.

Second, we have decades of experience providing industry-leading service and putting our customers first. We are sought out for this service for a reason—because we get it done right.

Additionally, Interface does not use hybrid systems for its calibrations. We use direct force application and NIST traceable force standards with customized fixture assemblies for each type of equipment. These important distinctions allow us to focus on providing the best-accredited calibrations for crane scales and dynamometers available in the industry.

Not only are we recognized experts in calibration services, but Interface is also known globally for reliability, accuracy, and longevity of its products. Interface manufactures force products which are used worldwide in test and measurement applications, as well as our own renowned metrology lab. Our specialized engineering and metrology teams pay close attention to the performance data of these standards. With proper maintenance and regular calibrations by Interface, we provide assurance that load cells are operating at the highest standard.

Interface understands that aerospace and military engineering professionals cannot wait long periods of time to receive their load cells after calibration service. We are known for our quick turnaround time. We make sure load cells, crane scales, dynamometers, and other force measurement equipment is calibrated to perfection expeditiously, to prevent significant disruption to any operations.

“Interface’s 51 years of experience in manufacturing and calibrating force measurement devices makes us one of the largest and most sought-after calibration service providers in the world. Our team follows strict standards and protocols to make sure our customers are receiving the best calibrations possible.”  Mike Cobb, Director of Services.

This year, Interface introduced a new Tiered Calibration Services Program to offer customized and expedited services.  No matter the tier of service, Interface services receive a warranty and all our service is ISO 17025 accredited calibration service. To schedule a service, visit here.

 

Calibrate with the Force Measurement Experts

Calibration of your force measurement products is critical to continued performance, safety, and compliance.  This is why Interface invests significant dedicated resources to calibration and repair services for tension, compression, system calibrations, ISO 376, and ASTM E74 to ensure our customer’s load cells are always performing at premium accuracy levels.

We complete more than 100,000 NMI traceable calibrations annually including our Certified Gold and Platinum Standard reference load cells. In addition to servicing our quality products, we can provide calibration services for other manufacturer’s load cells, as well as custom calibration services when needed.

The Interface Technical Services team follow strict standards and protocols as defined by our best practices and industry standards.  We are fully ISO 17025 accredited and in combination with more than 50 years of calibration expertise, we are one of the largest and most experienced calibration service providers in the world.

“Interface recommends recalibrations at 12-month intervals. The frequency of your calibration services should ultimately be determined by your accuracy and quality assurance protocols.”  – Michael Cobb, Technical Services at Interface

In our full-service Interface Metrology Lab, we can measure even the smallest shifts in response using any of our 15 dedicated hydraulic standards and five deadweight standards.

Most engineers that work with us are surprised to learn that Interface’s load cells often increase in accuracy over time with standard use. In fact, historical data of our products in the market that are serviced through Interface demonstrate improvements in accuracy the longer our customers have them in use. This does not mean you should not provide regular calibration maintenance to ensure you’re achieving the highest levels of accuracy.

A primary differentiator between Interface Calibration Services and others are our Interface manufactured load cell standards which have a well-established performance curve that allows for consistent calibration data. Using our Interface Gold Standard Calibration Software for data collection and analysis, our engineering and metrology teams pay close attention to the performance data of these standards, which we use to compare other load cells to ours. All data is gathered regularly in a permanent archive of testing data and results are subject to strict monitoring to prevent performance issues.

Because of our processes and consistency, we can provide quick calibration turnaround times within seven days and optional expedited services within three days. Interface is constantly improving processes and procedures to ensure customers can receive calibration services as quickly as possible without significant disruption to their operations.

Scheduling services with Interface are easy at Interface.  The first step is to complete the form located at /calibration-repair/calibration-repair-request-form/.  Upon submission, Interface will promptly contact you with a formal quote and shipping instructions.